Texas Governor Rick Perry, who will deliver the keynote address at this year's E3, has stirred controversy by affirming the comments of a Cornerstone Church minister who said non-Christians will be condemned to Hell.

Governor Perry spent the majority of a 90-minute service at the San Antonio "megachurch" on the stage with Reverend John Hagee, who had invited a number of political candidates, primarily Republicans, to be introduced to the congregation. According to the Dallas Morning News, during the service Hagee said, "If you live your life and don't confess your sins to God almighty through the authority of Christ and his blood, I'm going to say this very plainly, you're going straight to Hell with a nonstop ticket." He also prodded his audience to fight "moral weakness," to vote for religious candidates and oppose same-sex marriage, saying, "God is the Supreme Court."

Perry said at a rally after the service that he believes in Biblical inerrancy, and that nothing said during the service struck him as out of line. Later in the day while at a different venue, Perry said, "I don't know that there's any human being that has the ability to interpret what God and his final decision-making is going to be. That's what the faith says. I understand, and my caveat there is that an all-knowing God certainly transcends my personal ability to make that judgment black and white."

"Before we get into Buddha and all the others, I get a little confused there," he continued. "But the fact is that we live in a pluralistic world but our faith is real personal. And my Christian faith teaches that the way is through Jesus Christ."

Perry's comments are particularly salient to gamers in light of his selection as keynote speaker at this year's E3 Media and Business Summit in July. ESA President Michael Gallagher, who declined to deliver the keynote himself for the second year in a row, cited Governor Perry's "forward-thinking leadership" in encouraging the growth of the videogame industry in Texas as the reason for his selection, comments he made despite a law signed into effect in 2007 that denies financial incentives to developers who produce games with "inappropriate content."

1. I disagree with what was said in the church wholeheartedly, and nothing said during the service struck me as out-of-line either. They're in a church. Saying that their beliefs are the truth. What's new?2. The man stated that was not overly familiar with other religions and their deities, and that despite there being multiple religions in the world, he had personal faith. At no point did he express an intolerance to others.3. NEWSFLASH: Vast Majority of Christians Say Non-Christians Will Burn in Hell (Caveat: Not all Christians believe in the fire-and-brimstone of the revivalists, but many believe in Hell, and its general unpleasantness, and that the heathens are headed there)

The one major, relevant point of all of this, is buried in the very last sentence: the man chosen to speak at E3 has passed legislation that is not in the spirit of freedom of expression with relation to videogames. But, then again, if a company were making a teledildonics game, many taxpayers would be upset that the company was receiving tax incentives to do so. Dude is serving his constituency. Whose axe is being ground here?

EDIT: On reading the source article, it would appear that the axes are those of the man's upcoming election competition.EDIT^2: Noticed that my opening statement was too vague about what exactly I disagree with. Clarified.

Lucky there is no God or Hell or I might have been worried. What worries me though is that the majority of politicians (and people for that matter) seem to be led about by some guy (or girl) they haven't even met. But as long as he doesn't present any religious views at E3 then I'll let him be.

"YOU HAVE HEARD THAT HELL IS OTHER PEOPLE?""of course""IN TIME YOU WILL LEARN THAT THIS IS NOT TRUE"

- DEATH to Vorbis in Terry Pratchetts 'Small Gods', a book that has some of the most clever commentary on religion i have ever read slipped seamlessly into a damn good story...

ONTOPIC: Its religion, you get things like this said... it was in a church after all, it wasn't like he was shouting it through the mailboxes of atheists, but even as a christian i find the 'heathens go to hell' thing a little strong.

Heathens go to hell by default? i know plenty of assholes that attend my church and ill be damned if i spend eternity with them over my firends...

I was going to say how surprised I was about the intelligent responses to this thread, until I saw the one above (Indigo). I don't see the point in posting a newslink like this. He prefaces the statement by admitting to being blunt and isn't going to beat-around-the-bush like most politicians do, so good for him :)

"I don't know that there's any human being that has the ability to interpret what God and his final decision-making is going to be."

"If you live your life and don't confess your sins to God almighty through the authority of Christ and his blood, I'm going to say this very plainly, you're going straight to Hell with a nonstop ticket."

HalfShadow:Any religion that suggests that if you don't do what you're told means spending eternity getting tortured is nothing more than slavery.

Well, most religions do that, so yeh...

Look, the guy believes what he says. He probably shouldn't have said it to a gaming public, who (sorry if this comes off as a stereotype) aren't that interested in religion, but want to focus on gaming. He was out of place. What I'm trying to get at here is that what he said is out of place, and maybe he should've kept his religion to himself, especially at E3... I mean, we just wanna game, not go into religion.

This guy is a real tosser. Yea there is beleiving in something, then there is threatening other people with their beleive. I don't mind religious speakers, sometimes I enjoy them even though I'm not religious. For example, I was at a wedding, the guy was talking about how 'the man upstairs' looks after us. That is a lovely thing to say. But when people like this start running their mouths off, the ban-hammer should come down!

I think one of the reasons some of us are shocked by these comments - and some others aren't - lies with the fact that many Americans don't understand that overt religious behaviour is a big no-no in the political arena in most of the rest of the western world, while people in other countries fail to grasp how important the demonstration of (Christian) faith is to the political milieu in the US. It's so deeply puzzling to some, and so second-nature to others, that there's an inevitable disconnect.

The relevance of the story to gamers, which seems to be in question here and on other sites that have carried the news, comes not from the man's personal beliefs but from the very puzzling fact that he was chosen as the keynote speaker for E3. The motivations behind his choice are a complete mystery, but given the ongoing implosion taking place at the ESA - the agency behind E3 - any kind of dodgy publicity or questionable move is absolutely the last thing they need.

"People think they vote, but we merely entertain them while we make sure that this fine theocracy plan we had in the box does come to fruition."In other words, another (beardless) retard.And these retards will burn in my Hell, the one I just made up because I can also write down a fanfiction and claim stupid things, half based on reality, half based on crack.

"I don't know that there's any human being that has the ability to interpret what God and his final decision-making is going to be."

"If you live your life and don't confess your sins to God almighty through the authority of Christ and his blood, I'm going to say this very plainly, you're going straight to Hell with a nonstop ticket."

Nuff said. Preacher play with thyself.

I will have to admit that whatever you are saying has gone completely over my head. Just to be clear, you are aware that you're quoting two different people? The priest is stating to his congregation his interpretation of the religion, and the Governor is expressing that despite his beliefs and how he was raised, he doesn't think any man really knows what God is thinking. What am I missing here?

@The Atheists: You do realize that your disbelief only protects you from the "threat" of hell. If God is real, and certain portions of the Bible turn out to be true, your disbelief will not save you from Hell itself.

Indigo_Dingo:Why is this guy speaking at E3? Why is he not in an asylum somewhere?

I believe the article explicitly states why the guy has been asked to speak at E3. Per the asylum, at what point did it become a good idea to lock people up for their religious beliefs? I don't recall theistic beliefs as a category in the DSM-IV...

stompy:He probably shouldn't have said it to a gaming public, who (sorry if this comes off as a stereotype) aren't that interested in religion, but want to focus on gaming. He was out of place. What I'm trying to get at here is that what he said is out of place, and maybe he should've kept his religion to himself, especially at E3...

I get the distinct impression that you did not read the article before posting. Congratulations! *stompy earns Internet License Demerit*

Now now, people. While I may not be a big supporter of the Christian faith, there is no need to blatantly insult it and its believers. We're here to discuss a man who will be speaking at E3 and his (completely unrelated) speech about his beliefs in a place of worship which caters to people who generally support said beliefs.

As a proud atheist, I don't agree with anything he said in his speech, though I don't see it as a problem. In fact, more power to him for not being afraid to openly present his opinions to others. The only way I would be concerned is if he let his convictions get in the way of his speech at E3, which I highly doubt will be the case. I'm sure that Governor Perry understands he will be speaking to a group of gamers, who are far more interested in gaming than listening to him preach.

Malygris:I think one of the reasons some of us are shocked by these comments - and some others aren't - lies with the fact that many Americans don't understand that overt religious behaviour is a big no-no in the political arena in most of the rest of the western world, while people in other countries fail to grasp how important the demonstration of (Christian) faith is to the political milieu in the US. It's so deeply puzzling to some, and so second-nature to others, that there's an inevitable disconnect.

Fair point. Personally, I see politicians as people (albeit evil people), and people typically have some sort of religious belief (unless you think my agnosticism is not on the scale somehow). The line I draw is when those religious beliefs are forced by the politician on their constituency; for me, that's when it is a problem. The example mentioned with Gov. Perry does not appear to be one of those instances.

The other aspect that you point out, the importance of demonstrating Christian faith in order to attain high public office in the US, is certainly problematic. No argument from me there.

The relevance of the story to gamers, which seems to be in question here and on other sites that have carried the news, comes not from the man's personal beliefs but from the very puzzling fact that he was chosen as the keynote speaker for E3. The motivations behind his choice are a complete mystery, but given the ongoing implosion taking place at the ESA - the agency behind E3 - any kind of dodgy publicity or questionable move is absolutely the last thing they need.

It would've been nice had the story focused more on this aspect. You'll note that the majority of comments seem focused on the first 75% of the article, and lambasting Christianity, than on the last paragraph of relevance. I don't think all of that blame falls on the commentators.

I'm just going to flatly state that his religious views should not matter as to why he was chosen as a Keynote speaker. I mean, why not wonder when it was news on May 20th? Why do you have to wait until he talks his religious beliefs?

I have to deal with people telling me I'm an idiot for being a Christian, so God dammit suck it up and accept the fact that, according to the Bible, you're going to Hell for not being a Christian, and any Christian that says otherwise is just making excuses to seem all the more kind and lovey dovey. Instead, you post this article bringing around ignorant comments like

Any religion that suggests that if you don't do what you're told means spending eternity getting tortured is nothing more than slavery.

which is wrong for so many reasons I'd love to get into.

But what's the point? This is sensationalism, just like the sort Fox news posts, just disguised.

Why is this guy making the E3 Keynote? Because he wanted to push to provide assistance for game developers in Texas, similar to the assistance that Hollywood gets for filming in some states. Because he is a politician that, instead of condemning games, wants to assist developers. Granted the bill got messed up and there were other issues, but seriously, try researching the guy in terms of video games and leave religion out of it.

I expect better reporting from The Escapist than to appeal to the pretentious Atheist that is just as ignorant as the moron shouting gays are all burning in Hell (which is NOT true according to the Bible, unless they also are not Christian, but at that point the homosexuality doesn't exactly matter).

"I don't know that there's any human being that has the ability to interpret what God and his final decision-making is going to be."

"If you live your life and don't confess your sins to God almighty through the authority of Christ and his blood, I'm going to say this very plainly, you're going straight to Hell with a nonstop ticket."

Nuff said. Preacher play with thyself.

I will have to admit that whatever you are saying has gone completely over my head. Just to be clear, you are aware that you're quoting two different people? The priest is stating to his congregation his interpretation of the religion, and the Governor is expressing that despite his beliefs and how he was raised, he doesn't think any man really knows what God is thinking. What am I missing here?

Ok, two people on the same stage, both preaching the same message.

Hagee states "God's will is for you to burn in hell."Perry "agrees" by stating "No human has the ability to know God's will."

Now if " affirming the comments of a Cornerstone Church minister who said non-Christians will be condemned to Hell." is equal to "I don't know that there's any human being that has the ability to interpret what God and his final decision-making is going to be. " then I'm more than a little confused, because Perry seems to be denying Hagee. So, either the copy is wrong, or the quotes are wrong.

Either way, there's something minging in the state of Texas and that's a key speaker being someone who has refused finance to the one thing he's talking on. Major conflict of interest.

Usige Beatha:In my honest Christian opinion; people just need to ignore people like this. Fanatics on all sides (Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Atheist etc...) just need to be ignored.

I agree, anyone who goes overboard on matters of faith should be ignored. The thing is, since religions are ultimately subjective, claiming to know about the fates of everyone else is a bit arrogant. However, that seems perfectly within the reach of the religious right in America.

Hagee states "God's will is for you to burn in hell."Perry "agrees" by stating "No human has the ability to know God's will."

Now if " affirming the comments of a Cornerstone Church minister who said non-Christians will be condemned to Hell." is equal to "I don't know that there's any human being that has the ability to interpret what God and his final decision-making is going to be. " then I'm more than a little confused, because Perry seems to be denying Hagee. So, either the copy is wrong, or the quotes are wrong.

Either way, there's something minging in the state of Texas and that's a key speaker being someone who has refused finance to the one thing he's talking on. Major conflict of interest.

To be specific, one person, on stage, preaching a particular message about his religion's tenets of faith. Afterwards, one of the individuals present at the time was asked about the sermon, and said that he could not disagree with anything in particular. BUT, later in the same day, stated that despite that being his faith, it was really up to God what happens in the end, and that's not within his ability, or any man's, to know for certain. What is so odd about saying "Yes, this is what I think, but there's no way for me to know the will of God absolutely"?

Also, an interesting tidbit: this happened a year and a half ago. November 2006. Not that it makes it irrelevant, I just found it odd that the article failed to point out the vintage of the event.

And, as far as "refused finance". The man signed into law videogame development financial incentives. This finance was restricted (either by the man, or by the legislature, I haven't been able to find a decent source yet) on the basis of content. (There is one other state that has done this; while I think it is a short-sighted and silly thing to do, I understand completely why a legislature would be reluctant to give blanket subsidies to an industry that so much of their constituency is going to write to them about, especially if the next Hot Coffee were partially paid for with taxpayer's money). For the most part, he has done the exact opposite of refusing finance to the subject on which he has been asked to speak.

Golden rule of right-wing propaganda: You can be as good a person as you want, doing all sorts of good deeds and making the world a better place, but unless you go to the same wooden building as I do and read the same lines from the same book when instructed to by a man wearing a dress, you will burn for eternity in the fires of damnation. However, if you DO go to the same wooden building and pay lip service prayers to the same invisible guy that I do, you can go out and commit as many sins as you like (except for sexual acts, which are much worse than every other type of sin for some reason) and you will be forgiven.

Golden rule of American religious fervor: You are either a right-wing Christian bigot, or a left-wing hippie Jew or atheist, there is no in-between ground. Buddhists don't exist.

You know it's funny I'm Irish and technically a christian and even though Ireland, where I live, is meant to have the most stoic of catholics we really couldn't give a shit! I mean seriously at a sermon our local priest even said that people should not be prosecuted for creed, race or sexuality. At first I was about to stand up and say that isn't he meant to be apart of a religion waving the flag of burning the gays but then I thought hey this priest is actually saying what he thinks is right and breaking away from everyone else. Most other priests over here are like that too. I don't think I've ever heard hell mentioned once in church. But hey Ireland's kick-ass like that right?

I think I might go and see him wearing my cradle of filth "jesus is a c*nt" t-shirt. I am atheist, and will remain this way untill I see concreate evidence, and the same with science, most of science is theory. "my Christian faith teaches that the way is through Jesus Christ." <--Ignorance all over.